The use of sawdust in a firestarter has long been known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 697,014 issued Apr. 8, 1902, to Alfred F. Putnam for FIRE-KINDLER AND METHOD OF MAKING. Putnam uses coarse resinous sawdust and finely pulverized resin thoroughly mixed together and heated to about 300 degrees F. After cooling, the mixture is placed in a mold and subjected to sufficient pressure to reduce the mixture to about one-half its original proportions and form a brick-shaped block.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,518 issued Sept. 6, 1977, to Charles J. Daizell for SOLID FUEL ELEMENT AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING uses fine sawdust obtained from compressed wood blended with an equivalent amount of liquid wax at a sufficiently elevated temperature to release substantially all moisture from the sawdust and saturate the compressed wood particles with wax. The hot blended material is cooled and compacted into small blocks. Daizell uses temperatures up to 350 degrees F. to rid the sawdust of moisture and saturate it with a special wax. Daizell is only interested in driving off the moisture from the special compressed sawdust, and does not suggest the need or desirablility of eliminating oil from the sawdust derived from compressed wood. The blend is cooled and then compacted under a pressure of approximately 22,000 p.s.i. to form a dry solid fuel element or igniter.
It is also known in the prior art to use a pine cone on a base of melted paraffin or candle wax. Such a firestarter is described on page 47 of the publication entitled, CHRISTMAS WITH SOUTHERN LIVING, 1982, published by Oxmoor House, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama. The pine cone firestarter there described uses pine cones, paraffin or candle stubs, wicking, and coloring. The paraffin is melted, and each pine cone is dipped into the melted paraffin to completely coat the cones which are then allowed to cool. Melted paraffin is transferred into muffin cups and 11/2" of wicking is inserted in the paraffin within each cup. Just before the paraffin hardens a cone is pressed into the paraffin in each cup. The paraffin is allowed to harden before removing it from the muffin cups and the prior art pine cone firestarter is complete.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,900 issued Oct. 18, 1966, to John Naples for RAPID IGNITION CHARCOAL PACKAGE AND METHOD 0F IGNITING is another example of using paraffin wax with a mixture of wood as a firestarter. The Naples firestarter is in the form of a package containing a mat of wax and wood particles about 1/2" thick and a supply of charcoal briquettes. Naples is not considered pertinent to the present invention other than its teaching of using wax and a wood product as a firestarter.